What treatment strategies appear to be promising in meeting the varied needs of youth with addictions, mental health issues or a history of abuse? Compare and contrast treatment programs developed for these groups of offenders. Identify the role of parents, schools, juvenile courts, and specific service providers in cross-disciplinary treatment of these multi-problem youth.
For many years, researchers, clinicians, and juvenile justice program administrators have known that there is a link between drug use and juvenile crime. In many communities around the country the majority of juveniles that get into trouble are drug users. Other research has indicated that juvenile drug use plays a major role in recurring, chronic, and violent delinquency behaviors. Juvenile drug use is also related to poor health, weakening family relationships, declining school performance, and other social and psychological problems (VanderWaal, McBride, Terry-McElrath, and VanBuren, 2001).
Developing treatment programs is a complex process because it involves covering the juvenile's beginning of substance abuse, the ongoing use and any relapses that might occur. In order to increase the probability that the treatment program will be effective, the treatment staff needs to identify factors that correlate...
Programs that show the strongest evidence of being effective are the ones that are used most often. Ideally a youth will receive a core of treatment services under the direction of a case manager, who is in constant contact with the juvenile court as well as the juvenile's friends and family (VanderWaal, McBride, Terry-McElrath, and VanBuren, 2001).
In order for a treatment program to be successful all the key players- parents, schools, juvenile courts, and specific service providers- must work together. Each of these key players must coordinate and support the treatment of the youth in order for them to succeed. The service providers must make sure that they are in constant contact with both the schools and the parents so that they can provide as much support as possible.
Works Cited
Healy, Kerry Murphy. 1999. U.S. Department of Justice. 30 March 2009
"Juvenile Justice Case Management Services JJCM and PA-JJCM" 2008. Council on Accreditation. 30 March 2009
VanderWaal, Curtis J., McBride, Duane C., Terry-McElrath, Yovonne M., VanBuren, Holly.
2001. U.S. Department of Justice. 30 March 2009 <
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/186156.pdf>
